Quote:Ivory isn't the guy some people here think he is. He had his best year ever last year but it wasn't a special season by any means. Chasing after running backs is a waste of time. Build the line and you can find guys to run behind it easy.

Precisely, exactly, correct. Why is this such a seemingly tough concept to grasp for some? You have a good running game when you've got good linesmen. Oh sure, there are exceptions; Fred Taylor or MJD for example frequently turned nothing runs into big gains. But running backs like that in the NFL are the exception and not the rule; and even they needed some blocking to spring free.

 

So once again we come back to the old truism; games are won and lost in the trenches. A good offensive line will make an average quarterback or running back look good. while a sub average o-line will often make even a good quarterback or running back look only average. The linesmen (offensive and defensive) are like the solid foundation on which everything else is built, and nothing else is going to look that good if the foundation isn't solid.

 

Of course, really good linesmen don't grow on trees. Sometimes, even a highly drafted linesmen doesn't 'pan out' (see Luke Joeckel)). The point is that if you want a championship caliber team it needs above average linesmen, not just a body filling a linesmen position. We would be wise to invest heavily in o-linesmen this draft and f/a...imho.

 

I'd venture the guess that when we get our o-line up to speed, we'll become perineal play off contenders. Until then, we are at best pretenders.

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